Dangan Ronpa Epilogue:Never Again
by TheRoseShadow21
Summary: A look at the lives of the 6 survivors after they left Hope's Peak , spanning 3 generations. AU , NaegiXKirigiri .Rated T to be safe.


**Just a sort of epilogue for the first Dangan Ronpa. It contains some mentions of Nae , so it is AU , but if you ignored those , it could probably fit the game or the anime. **

**A vague link to my fanfic 'Introducing Dangan Ronpa' is implied at the end of this story , but there is no need to have read that already. **

**Enjoy , and please leave feedback ^^**

It had been 6 years.

It was hard to believe that it had been 6 years since they'd all escaped Hope's Peak Academy , ended that despair riddled game and gone their own ways .

And now they were back again , finally able to lay their dead friends to rest. Well , almost all of them. Touko Fukawa was the only one of them to not attend the memorial service , as she was in jail , having turned herself in for Genocider's crimes , after trying and failing to supress that murderous side of her.

Hagakure was early, surprisingly .Apart from his hair being slightly crazier , he looked no different to how he looked 6 years ago. His eyes went wide when Naegi and Kirigiri arrived.

"Naegi-Chi! Kirigiri-Chi!It's been a while! How are you doing?"

"We're good , Hagakure-kun." Naegi replied. With nothing else to say , awkward silence quickly returned , and then Hagakure spoke again

"I didn't think I'd ever be coming back here again."

"Technically, we aren't in the school anymore." Kirigiri pointed out. This was true. While working for the Future Foundation, Naegi and Kirigiri had come to the decision of having the school demolished. And then, once things were getting back to normal, they had decided that this was the best place to bury their dead school friends, and to hold a memorial service. The burial had already been done-they hadn't the time to keep the bodies to include the burial as part of the memorial after the school had been demolished , but with some miracles , Naegi and Kirigiri had been able to track the others down to inform them of the memorial , and they'd all come to pay their respects.

"Hey , guys!"

The three of them turned to a familiar friendly voice. Aoi Asahina was approaching them , wearing a black tracksuit fleece over a white shirt and black shorts . She wasn't alone though. Holding her hand was a small child in a dark blue dress and matching pumps. The girl had black, curly hair that was being unsuccessfully held up in two ponytails , and her complexion was slightly paler than that of Aoi's , but her wide blue eyes left no doubt as to who she was. That , and the fact she was steadily biting out of a doughnut , staring wide eyed at the vast amounts of land and the gravestones .

"It's been ages! I've missed you all so much! And at least things are so much better than they were before! I mean, the doughnut shops are open again!" Naegi smiled. _As joyful as ever_, he thought.

Eventually Aoi paused for breath.

"No Togami?" she asked.

"Oh , I'm here! Aren't you going to introduce me?" Togami arrived , smart and suited , with his secretary close behind.

Aoi smiled.

"Just waiting for you to get here. " She bent down , and picked up the little girl beside her , shifting her so she was carrying her on the side.

"This is my daughter, Nagi. "She told them. "Nagi, these are some of my school friends-Makoto Naegi, Kyouko Kirigiri-Chan , Byakuya Togami and Hagakure. "

Nagi looked at them intensely , not saying anything. Then , in a hesitant voice she said.

"Pleased to meet you. " Then she buried her face in her mother's shoulder , suddenly shy.

Togami laughed, and reached over to ruffle Nagi's hair. Everyone stared. Togami was one of the most unaffectionate people they knew.

"We should start." He declared.

The secretary came up to him.

"Do you need a copy of the speech you prepared, Togami-sama?"

Togami dismissed her with a wave of the hand. "I have it memorised. It's just a short thing."

"He prepared a speech?" Hagakure mouthed.

"Apparently yes. Do not be surprised. "Kirigiri said simply.

Togami stood in front of the gravestones , and cleared his throat. Everyone turned .

"It has been 6 years since those events that ended our world occurred. The fact we are all here is testimony to the fact that we are survivors, that we never gave up, and that things will only get better. But unfortunately, we weren't all so lucky, and today, we are here to honour those people, and lay them to rest, so to speak. To give us closure, and so we can give thanks for our survival." Togami bowed, and then walked back to them, barking an order at his secretary, who handed over a large bunch of flowers and then moved to the side. Togami then went back to the nearest grave , put flowers on it ,said a quick prayer , then moved on to the next one.

The others exchanged a look.

"Didn't know he cared." Aoi muttered sarcastically, although she looked touched. She let Nagi down.

"Come , Nagi-Chan , let me introduce you to Sakura-Chan." They headed straight to a particular grave.

The others made their rounds. Naegi, like Togami, decided to systematically visit each one, saying a few quiet words for each of his friends. He lingered at Maizono's grave .

"Maizono-san…" he was at a loss , all the emotions surrounding her death flooding him once again.

"_I'm sorry."_

"M..Maizono-san?" Naegi gasped silently.

"_Naegi-kun, I'm sorry. I betrayed you."_

"It's fine. It wasn't your fault."

"_I shouldn't have betrayed you. I'm sorry. But , you know , Naegi-kun , you've got so much life left for you. Grab ahold of it. For me , if not for yourself. "_

"Maizono-san…"

"_Grab ahold of life and…and let go of me? Okay? There's a great girl by your side. That Kirigiri-san, I never understood her…but she's perfect for you. Unlike me, she never betrayed you. So do what you have to do. Forget me, if you need to. And again, I'm sorry, me."_

"I forgave you a long time ago." He said, but Maizono's voice had already disappeared. He blinked, wondering if it was real. He surveyed his surroundings. Hagakure was squatting in front of a grave, lighting a candle , and talking . From his random words , Naegi deduced that it was the grave of Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba .

Togami was also kneeling at a grave . Nagi was standing next to him , and he was talking to her. Aoi was nearby , keeping an eye on her young daughter. Judging by the pain on Togami's face , he knew that that was the grave of Nae Yukino , the friend they had all forgotten. The only grave that had no body buried under it. Although Togami had seemed unaffected by most of their friends deaths at the time , learning about Nae had really knocked him. Especially when it came to light that he and Nae had been actually been very good would never admit it, but there was a lot of guilt still felt over forgetting her , even though it hadn't been their fault.

And then there was Kirigiri. She was wandering , a deeply thoughtful expression on her face. An expression that he had familiarised himself with. She too had more baggage than most of them as a result of Hope's Peak , and he was familiar with that too. Over the years, they had formed a close relationship that wasn't quite that of lovers, but was definitely more than a friendship , at least in emotional terms. Suddenly, she stopped , and stared at a gravestone. Naegi was pretty sure he knew which one it was.

Quietly, he approached her and watched .She looked down , her hair falling and shielding her face. Her shoulders shook subtly , her fists were clenched , and Naegi was sure that under the gloves her knuckles were white . Quiet , shaky breaths confirmed that she was crying.

Wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around her. Briefly , she stiffened , and then relaxed. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what , and so he remained quiet , just holding her. Kirigiri continued to weep , desperately , softly and intensely , with no sign of letting up. Naegi suspected this was over 6 years' worth of tears finally being let out , and so he didn't say anything.

"Kirigiri-Chan! Don't cry!" almost out of nowhere , Aoi had come , hugging Kirigiri tightly and squeezing Naegi's arm in the process. Then , Hagakure gathered all three of them in a large bear-hug , saying something about how a group hug was all they needed.

Togami was standing to the side , Nagi next to him , clinging to his trouser pocket.

"Good Grief." He muttered.

"Byabya-Chan , don't you like hugs?"

He looked down at the confused little girl.

"No. I find them too over-the-top." As soon as he'd said that , he wondered if that was too much for her to understand. Predictably , he wasn't used to being friendly with three year olds.

"When I'm sad , hugs make me feel happy again. Is Mako-Chan and Mummy and Hagu-Chan trying to make Kii-Chan feel happy again?"

"Probably. And it's _are _they , not _is _they."

"Oh. Why aren't you helping?"

"I think the real question is , why aren't you helping? " Togami smiled at the little girl, who looked up at his wide eyed before letting go of his pocket and rushing over and adding herself to the large group hug.

Watching the scene with a half-smile , he rolled his eyes once again.

"Good grief. "

Eventually , they become untangled. Kirigiri straightened , her eyes seeming dry . Naegi kept an arm around her , and they all watched each other for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next.

It was Togami who broke the silence.

"Well , I have an economy to run. I trust we're finished now. "

"Yeah. I guess." Naegi replied.

"Well then , I'll be off. "

"Bye bye , Byabya-Chan!" Nagi yelled as he left.

Once Togami had gone , Aoi turned to the others.

"What do you say to coming back to our house for a big old nostalgia session? There'll be food…and lots of doughnuts too! What do you say , Nagi-Chan?"

"Yeah!"

…

The next day , Kirigiri woke up as usual , and ,from the bedroom door, watched Naegi as he slept on the sofa , unable to read her own thoughts as she did so. Then , slowly and deliberately , she went into the bathroom.

When Naegi woke up , Kirigiri had come out of the bathroom , and her hair now only just brushed her shoulders.

"Kirigiri-san …you cut your hair. "

"Yes. "

"But…but why?" Naegi spluttered , still not fully over the shock.

"I want to start over. I need tangible proof that I won't go back to how I was before."

"Kirigiri-san…"

"That's another thing. I think we've become close enough to address each other on first name terms now , yes? I mean , we live in the same apartment. "

"I..I..sure thing. Your hair looks great , by the way , _Kyouko-san_."

Kirigiri-san smiles .

"And I love you."

"What?"

"You're starting over, and so I am I. The first thing you did was cut your hair, the first thing I'm doing is making sure I say what's important. I love you. And I don't want to ever let you go. That's the second thing, by the way. Making sure I don't lose you. "

"Makoto-kun…"

For the second time in over 6 years, Kirigiri found that tears were flowing out of her eyes. But this time , it wasn't out of sadness. Instead, it was out of an emotion she had yet to understand , but would feel more strongly throughout the rest of her life.

…

Two very special things happened in the next year. The first thing was that Naegi and Kirigiri got married, meaning that they were now often referred to as Makoto and Kyouko , and the second was that Aoi now had another child , a boy whom she'd named Keiichi, the difference being that Keiichi's father was willing to stay into the picture , and was good to Aoi.

Watching Aoi and her boyfriend playing with Nagi and baby Keiichi one day caused Makoto to wonder what it'd be like to have a family of their own. He hadn't seen his own parents for a while , and he hadn't a clue what had happened to his little sister Komaru , and so family was something he was missing.

Kyouko, however, seemed reluctant when he posed the question after dinner that night.

"I am my father's daughter, am I not? "She responded when he put out the suggestion later that evening.

"What do you mean?"

"He left me when the going got tough. And I am my father's daughter. Surely it follows that I would be a terrible mother. "

Makoto sighed , and reached over , tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and letting his hand rest tenderly against her cheek.

"You know that isn't true. What you said about your father may be right , but you are still you. The girl who saved my life, who survived all we've been put through. The girl I love. Not to mention that to me , you are an open book. So I know that isn't true , and so should you."

Kirigiri blinked , a deer in the headlights"I..I will sleep on it. This isn't the type of thing you decide lightly."

"Yeah, I know. Just putting it out there. "

…

Yugiri Naegi was born on a sunny September day almost 3 years later , on the same day that a new high school opened. Another three years later , the family was completed by the arrival of twin sisters .

"She is Yui." Kyouko said of the elder twin.

"Yui?"

"Yui." Kyouko confirmed, not elaborating any further.

"Ok. Yui it is. And what about you, little one? What should your name be?" he said , looking down at his second daughter, who was sleeping , oblivious to the questions being asked about her.

After a moment of thought , he eventually said.

"Welcome to the world , Sayaka. "

Kyouko raised an eyebrow tiredly.

"So we don't forget. If we forget , the same mistakes might be made again , so we need to make sure that never happens again. That's why I'm naming her Sayaka. "

Kyouko nodded.

"I see. That's sort of why I chose the name Yui. That is the name of someone I don't wish to forget. "

"And now , we are sure to remember. "

…

Yugiri and his sisters had an unusual childhood, coloured by their parents' experiences. Where most children's mothers sung lullabies to put them to sleep, their mother played piano melodies. Where children in the past were told stories of fairies and goblins and mythical creatures at night , they were told stories of a completely different nature. These stories were of a prestigious high school and the students who attended it, of bravery and betrayal, an evil stuffed bear, and most importantly, of hope. As they got older, they learnt that these stories were true, and that their mum and dad had been main characters in the stories. And once they had learnt that, they were constantly accompanying their parents to openings of new schools, hospitals and buildings.

The house they grew up in was one they had lived in since Yui and Sayaka were three months old, and was opposite to the apartment where Nagi and Keiichi lived with their mother Aoi Asahina , yet another character in the stories they had been told and her boyfriend Akihito , who was also Keiichi's father. Despite the two of them being older than the Naegi siblings, they all became good friends, and were often seen playing and hanging out together.

Nagi remained, somewhat inexplicably, friends with Byakuya Togami, who had almost singlehandedly rebuilt the economy and his business. Although a little more considerate of others feelings, he was almost as arrogant and harsh as he had been before. The real changes were deep inside him, ones that he rarely let others see. Nagi ended up being one of the ones that were lucky enough to know this, and once she'd started highschool, Togami noticed her high level of business skills, got her a part time job at his headquarters, and officially named her as his heir in his will.

Yugiri grew into an extraordinarily perceptive boy, often seeing the details in situations that others missing. He was soon shown to be smart, and ended up skipping a grade in middle school, attending the highschool that had opened the day he was born. He was also quiet, and a lot like his mother, despite being an almost exact clone of his father in terms of appearance. So it was no surprise to anyone when he announced that he wanted to be a detective when he was older.

To anyone who saw them, it was clear that Yui and Keiichi would fall in love. Philosophical yet sociable, both seemed to complement each other perfectly, and were inseparable. This resulted in both admiration and worry, but when there was no sign of their devotion ever becoming any less, even as they reached highschool age , their parents stopped worrying , and instead marvelled at how much better the world had become , to allow sweet things like soul mates finding each other in childhood to happen again.

Much like her namesake, Sayaka, the beloved youngest sister, was very musical, but unlike the Sayaka of the past, her preference was in composing music to be used for the soundtracks in movies and anime, which were slowly flourishing again, and often put soundtracks she'd made to home videos just for the fun of it. However, unlike her siblings, she didn't want to make a career out of this skill, and instead decided she would like to become a teacher someday.

…

Kokona Asakura adored movies , and even at the age of 10 had an eclectic taste in them. With her mother dead , they would prove to be her solace.

Her father had spent most of the three weeks that had gone by since that day packing for them to move into her uncle's house , and for all that time , she had been pretty much left to her own devices (when she wasn't in school.)

It was one of those days that changed her entire perception of the world forever. It was a Saturday , and she was messing around in the barn when she found a tightly sellotaped box , with her mother's handwriting on it. This wouldn't be unusual in itself , except that the lettering said 'Despair Entertainment Show-The Past'.

She tore it open to find a bunch of videotapes , each one numbered. There was no notes to explain what this could be. Kokona briefly considered pestering her father for a video player , then remembered her mother had installed an old cassette player in the very barn she was now in , declaring that they shouldn't be shafted just because better technology had arrived. She smiled at the memory as she turned on the TV screen and put in the video, waiting for it to start playing.

The images on the screen confused her. It displayed a large school in the middle of a city . A school called Hope's Peak Academy. The name made her think of something she'd overheard her mother and grandparents talking about a long time ago , but that was soon eclipsed by the mention of 'Super Duper High School Level' titles. Although she didn't understand it , the ridiculousness of it caused her to laugh for several minutes , only playing vague attention to the scenes of students entering the school.

When the scene changed , and she saw a face she recognised , she was jolted back to the video.

"Uncle Yugiri?" she wondered aloud , watching the image of the spiky haired teenaged boy as he investigated the steel plates over the class room windows , then proceeded to leave , navigating corridors until he opened yet another door , which led into a gymnasium full of other students , each more different than the next. And then she recognised two more people. No , four more. One looked like Aunt Nagi , except that this girl had darker skin and brown hair in a twisty ponytail ,another looked like her grandparent's friend Byakuya Togami , and the third looked vaguely like a criminal her mother had been penpals with since her teenage years. It was the fourth person who threw her completely. With purple eyes and similar coloured hair, she looked almost like her own mother, except that her mother's hair was slightly brown in hue , unlike this girl's , whose hair had a more silvery hue.

What did it mean ? Had the people around her starred in this movie or something ? Why had they hidden it from her?

Then the boy who looked like Uncle Yugiri introduced himself to the others as Makoto Naegi.

_Makoto Naegi? That isn't Uncle Yugiri then…no , wait . _Kokona's mind was starting to put things together. _Naegi , Naegi…_

When the girl with purple hair was introduced as Kyouko Kirigiri , it started to come together for her. Now thoroughly hooked , she kept on watching the video until she heard her father call for her.

Sighing , she stood up and paused the video before ejecting it and putting it back in the box. It looked as if she'd have more things to take with her when they left.

…

Kokona paced the bathroom, trying to undo her mistakes while humming panickedly.

"Coco-Chan?" It was Grandpa . After moving to live with her grandparents and uncle Yugiri , she had grown close to her grandfather , and it was he who had adopted the ridiculous nickname for her. Anyone else who had tried to all her that would have gotten kicked in the face. Even her so called boyfriend.

"Do you need to use the bathroom?" already she was dumping the evidence in the bin.

"No , but are you all right?"

Kokona briefly considered lying. Her father wouldn't over hear , as both he and Uncle Yugiri were at work. Grandma had popped out to the shops , and the only reason she herself was at home was because she'd claimed she was sick. But she knew Grandpa too well. He'd see straight through her.

"No." She opened the door , and scooted to the edge of the bathtub , where she sat , looking apprehensively at him .

He closed the door and simply stood by it , leaning slightly against the wall . They looked at each other for a moment , scared dark eyes looking into green eyes that still looked youthful despite the old face they were set in.

"You've just found out something you don't want to know."

"Eh?" Kokona blinked.

"You don't get married to one of the best detectives in the country without learning a trick or two , Coco-Chan. Not to mention that you're the second easiest book I've read. "

She relaxed slightly. Grandpa was always saying how he's learnt to read her closed but loving Grandma as if she was a book.

"I…" she started, and then stopped.

"Take your time, Coco-Chan."

Kokona took a deep breath. Then another. All of a sudden she was crying .

"That stupid…stupid…Su…"

"Subaru-kun?" That was the name of Kokona's boyfriend. The one who had got her into this whole mess. Even if she was partially responsible. "What did he do to you this time?"

Every time Grandpa asked that of her , she would normally leap to defend Subaru. This time , she simply went to the bin , pulled out the pregnancy test , and showed it to Grandpa. She didn't say a word.

…

She told her father that evening , when her younger cousins were in bed. She refused to look at him while she did so , instead choosing to look at the pin board in the kitchen , where the old postcards her grandparents' spiky-haired ex schoolmate had sent over the years were stuck.

"But you're not even 17!" her father kept saying , pacing around the room. "What were you thinking?! What was he thinking? I should go around to his house and have a word…"

That made Kokona turn around.

"No , Dad. Don't do that."

That made him pause , but only for a moment.

"In that case…tomorrow's Friday. You'll have to take another day off."

"Huh?"

"Near to my work place , there's a clinic-"

Kokona knew what he was getting at instantly and cut him off "No. I'm not going to." After telling Grandpa , they had talked long and hard about the baby , and she had already decided what to do.

"Kokona. Listen. You're 16 years old. That's no age to be a mother…do you really want to not finish highschool? Really? Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be living in this world right now and you're going to throw that away just because a stupid boy couldn't-"

She cut him off again "I'm keeping the baby. And that decision has nothing to do with Subaru. Although I'm going to get him to face up to his responsibilities."

"And how will you do that , pray tell?"

"Grandpa's gonna help , right. "

"I'll do my best , Coco-Chan."

"See?" Kokona glared defiantly. "It'll work out. "

"Kokona…You don't know what you're saying…"

"Yes I do!Mum would've listened!"

"You can't pull that one out every time …."

"Let's just hear Kokona out for a moment. Nobody's agreed or disagreed to anything yet , Satoru. " Grandma said calmly , surveying her family with eyes that were still discerning.

All of a sudden , all eyes were on Kokona.

"It's kind of like Dad said. We're lucky to live here. I mean , if I hadn't found the videos Grandma gave Mum , I wouldn't have known any of it-or believed it. And just because I was a stupid lovestruck idiot , doesn't mean little one here should miss out. And Mum really would have wanted this. Because she would have told me everything that had happened , but it was YOU who didn't want that , because you thought that it was best to forget. It isn't . We shouldn't forget. I think we should remember , so that the same mistakes aren't made again. And that goes for the ones who aren't born yet too. Not to mention , I just plain hate the idea of abortion. "

After her speech, it went silent.

"She has a point. About the forgetting , I mean. " Grandma said mildly.

"That's right. Without memories , where's the hope?" Grandpa added

"But Kokona , you have so much life ahead of you…"

"And this is how I am living it , Dad. With or without you. I'll regret it if I don't."

"…"

"I'm behind Coco-Chan all the way. She's been punished enough by that boy anyway. "

Grandma simply nodded.

Her father sighed again ,and then said.

"In that case…do you at least have a name planned , if nothing else?"

Kokona blinked for a moment , comprehending her father's words. Then she grinned.

"Course I do! If the baby's a girl , she'll be named after Mum , and if the baby is a boy…His name will be Naegi."


End file.
